A Journey Through Sudan: The Agricultural Season Amidst the Clutches of War

Sudan stands on the brink of one of the most severe food crises in its modern history. Agriculture, once the backbone of Sudan’s food security, is now severely threatened. The country relies on its local production of grains like sorghum, millet, and some wheat to meet about two-thirds of its consumption. However, armed conflict has hindered production in many areas, especially in Darfur, Kordofan, and Al-Jazirah. In these historically grain-producing regions, farmers are unable to access their fields due to violence and insecurity.

In Darfur, attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have targeted farmers to evacuate the lands and prevent these communities from returning. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur camps are regularly prevented from leaving the camps to work on their fields, leading to expectations of a significant decline in agricultural output compared to previous years.

In Al-Jazirah State, which was once Sudan’s food basket thanks to one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, agricultural activities have been widely affected after the RSF took control of the region in December 2023. Al-Jazirah used to contribute around 42% of Sudan’s wheat production before the war and was a major hub for the country’s grain storage. With the escalation of fighting, farmers’ ability to cultivate their lands or access loans to buy agricultural supplies has diminished, as vast parts of Khartoum, a key hub for the country’s financial sector, have been destroyed.

In the mechanized farming areas of eastern and northern Sudan, farmers face difficulties obtaining financing and fuel, both critical factors for purchasing seeds, fertilizers, and operating farming machinery. In the north, farmers struggle to find labor due to intensive recruitment campaigns launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces. Additionally, agricultural pest control services have stopped, directly impacting productivity. Beyond human factors, unfavorable rains in some areas have further exacerbated the agricultural crisis.

Harvest forecasts for the 2023-2024 season indicate a significant decline in grain production. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that sorghum yields will be 24% lower, and millet yields 50% lower than in 2022. The RSF’s control over large parts of Al-Jazirah State has severely impacted the planting of winter wheat, making the country’s food situation increasingly dire.

The war’s impact has not been limited to agricultural production; it has also led to the closure of many food processing facilities. With most food industries concentrated in the capital, Khartoum, the majority of factories, including about three-quarters of Sudan’s wheat milling capacity, have ceased operations. Even if peace were to return, it could take months before these factories resume full production.

With the mass displacement to eastern and northern regions in search of work and food, the demand for agricultural labor will be limited until the next planting season in June and July 2024.

In the west and south, where traditional rain-fed agriculture prevailed before the war, farmers usually rely on family members for unpaid labor. Even in areas where security still permits farming, job opportunities remain extremely scarce. As a result, joining armed groups and militias may become one of the few ways to access food, reflecting the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe facing Sudan.

Sudan heavily relies on five major irrigation projects using water from the Nile or wells, forming the strategic reserve of food grains like sorghum and millet, in addition to securing cash incomes through the export of crops like cotton, peanuts, and sesame, and meeting part of the country’s wheat needs. The largest of these projects is the Al-Jazirah project in central Sudan, the largest irrigated agricultural project in Africa, covering over 2.2 million acres and irrigated by gravity from the Blue Nile. Besides Al-Jazirah, other important projects include Suki, Wadi Halfa, Rahad, and the Tokar Delta in eastern Sudan.

Farmers in these projects rely on bank financing or partnerships with businessmen who fund all stages of the agricultural process, from providing seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers to agricultural machinery and the necessary sacks for packing crops. However, reports from the Sudanese Agricultural Bank indicate that the cultivated area it finances has shrunk by 60% compared to past years, posing a major challenge for farmers and threatening agricultural production in the country.

The summer agricultural season in Sudan faced immense challenges, including reduced cultivated areas due to weak financing and a lack of production inputs, in addition to fuel shortages and unprecedented price hikes. The deteriorating security situation in conflict zones, particularly in Kordofan, Darfur, and Al-Jazirah, has had a severe impact on agriculture, with farmers’ lives being at risk.

For the first time in a hundred years, the Al-Jazirah project came to a halt due to the war, deepening the humanitarian crisis amid expectations of an imminent famine that could affect half of Sudan’s population.

In a press statement, Agriculture Minister Abu Bakr Omar Al-Bushra noted that the current season is facing increasing difficulties due to security instability and the challenges of delivering agricultural inputs to areas controlled by the RSF. He explained that the targeted cultivated areas have shrunk to 36 million acres compared to 60 million before the outbreak of the war, with vast regions of Darfur and parts of Al-Jazirah being lost. Nevertheless, the minister asserted that the country will not experience a famine, citing a strategic stockpile of over a million tons of sorghum, in addition to significant amounts held by citizens and traders that are difficult to quantify accurately.

Ahmed Abd al-Nabi, a farmer from the Northern State, shares his experience of the summer agricultural season in his region. Abd al-Nabi highlights that farming varies from locality to locality, but in Halfa locality, the farmers’ experience is similar regarding the types of crops they grow, such as Egyptian beans, wheat, and vegetables. He adds that Halfa administrative unit suffers from waterlogging, making farming very limited. On the other hand, the Abri administrative unit focuses on winter farming, growing simple crops in summer like vegetables, sorghum, and sesame. He notes that sesame recently grown in Sai Island is a successful new crop with good yields.

Ahmed explains that the cost of production has become very high, making it difficult for ordinary people without capital to become farmers as they did before. Therefore, farmers in the north prefer focusing on the winter season since its crops are more profitable. He elaborates that summer crops are grown in small quantities to meet household needs, while winter crops provide financial value that helps implement projects or pay off accumulated debts.

Despite the importance of the winter season, agricultural financing remains a major obstacle. Farmers often rely on loans from the Agricultural Bank, but financing comes late, negatively affecting productivity due to the delayed planting period. Farmers also struggle to repay these loans, as the bank allows a short repayment period post-harvest, during which crop prices are very low, forcing them to sell their crops at cheap prices to pay off debts.

Ahmed points out that the cost of planting Egyptian beans, for example, exceeds 380 Sudanese pounds per sack, while the selling price is only 15,000 pounds, exposing farmers to heavy losses. He adds that agriculture in the Northern State is heavily dependent on modern fertilizers and pesticides, but the lack of qualified personnel for guidance and pest management presents a major challenge, especially when pests like insects appear and destroy crops without available pesticides or proper guidance. For Ahmed, farming in the Northern State can be very successful if there is support and funding from relevant authorities. However, if the current situation continues without improvement, farmers will find themselves burdened with debts and may abandon farming altogether. He concludes, “As long as we are productive and farming, we will not starve.”

Mohamed Yassin, a farmer from White Nile State, recounts the story of the current summer agricultural season in the Gaffa project. The cultivated area this season represents only 25% of the total project area due to high fuel prices and the difficulty of obtaining it, in addition to deteriorating security conditions.

In the area under Sennar’s jurisdiction, the army has prohibited farming in Jebel Moya and Jebel Mir due to RSF control, preventing shepherds or farmers from accessing these areas for fear of their safety. Even in areas where farming is allowed, farmers have been restricted to working during daylight hours only and prohibited from using engines at night to avoid being mistaken for RSF forces. Mohamed explained that someone who used to plant thirty feddans (five acres) in the past was only able to plant two or three this year.

The main crops in the Gaffa project include sorghum, which is the staple food for the people of White Nile, in addition to millet. Yassin also mentions that sesame was planted in limited quantities due to the delayed rainy season, which started in August, affecting the crop’s success.

Mohamed highlights that government support has declined this year; in the past, the government provided seeds for free or at symbolic prices and distributed them to villages through local leaders, but this year, none of those seeds have been delivered. Government fuel support has also shrunk to only 10% and is now offered at commercial prices and arrives late, further delaying planting. Yassin adds that farmers are now afraid that clashes might prevent them from harvesting their crops after all the effort. As a result, farming this season has been limited to small quantities that barely meet the needs of farming families. He notes that other large projects in White Nile State, such as the Meginis and Jebelain projects, which used to feed Sudan with sorghum, have seen a significant decline in farming due to fuel shortages and security complications.

Concluding his statement, Mohamed expresses pessimism about this year’s sorghum production, doubting that the harvest from the Gaffa project will be sufficient to cover the needs of White Nile State, let alone provide exports outside the state as was common before the outbreak of the war.